In general, rotary power tools are light-weight, handheld power tools capable of being equipped with a variety of accessory tools and attachments, such as cutting blades, sanding discs, grinding tools, and many others. These types of tools typically include a generally cylindrically-shaped main body that serves as an enclosure for an electric motor as well as a hand grip for the tool. The electric motor drives an output shaft to rotate at high speeds. The output shaft is equipped with an accessory attachment system that enables accessory tools to be releasably secured to the power tool.
In some rotary tools, known as “flexible-shaft” rotary tools, the motor is located in a motor housing separate from the body of the tool. The motor enclosure is attached to the main body of the tool via a flexible shaft, which includes a plurality of rotatable components that transmit the rotational motion generated by the motor to the output shaft of the rotary tool.
Due to the light weight of the tool body of flexible-shaft rotary tools, these tools are frequently used for carving. However, when carving or machining, the rotary tools produce dust and debris that the user has to constantly remove from the area of the workpiece being machined so as to not obscure the details being carved. In addition, the dust and debris leaves the work area dirty and can cause problems for respiration of the user. It would therefore be beneficial to provide a flexible-shaft rotary tool that reduces the dust and debris produced during machining.